Gina Carano says she has nothing left to prove, but she is not staying quiet either.
After years as one of Hollywood’s most visible examples of cancel culture, the former “Mandalorian” actress is rebuilding her career on her own terms.
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Carano — in one of her biggest wins along this “canceled” saga — reached a legal settlement with Disney and is now preparing for a high-profile MMA return against Ronda Rousey on May 16.
In a new interview with Evie Magazine, Carano reflected on how quickly the narrative around her has shifted.
For Carano, the past few years marked a turning point in how she views the media and public discourse.
Looking back at the social media posts that led to her firing, she says the reaction at the time feels out of step with where things stand now.
“Back then it was called conspiracy theories,” Carano said.
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“And I’m like, with my conspiracies, I’m batting a hundred right now. The questions I was asking were questions other people were wanting to ask.
“We got to the point where we couldn’t even ask, or counter the narrative, or even make a joke. Comedians suffered for it. People just stated facts that people didn’t like. That was a wild time. It was not that long ago.”
Coverage of Carano largely faded after she settled her lawsuit with Disney in August 2025.
She believes the lack of follow-up tells its own story, especially when comparing how the company described her exit versus how it handled the resolution.
“Nobody covers this,” she noted.
“I told this to The Hollywood Reporter journalist and they were like, yeah, nobody’s covering this. But if you put the two statements Disney made next to each other, what they said when they fired me and what they said at the settlement, the contrast is just mind-blowing.”
Despite the fallout, Carano did not take aim at the creative team behind “The Mandalorian.”
Carano said her experience working with Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau never matched the online narrative that surrounded her departure.
“I never had a problem with Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. I thought they were always wonderful,” she added.
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“There’s a lot of stuff I can’t even share. But those are two good human beings that I respect, and they respect me. The internet always wants you to be involved in its problem whether it has anything to do with you or not.”
Away from Hollywood, Carano said she also went through a physical reset while preparing for her return to fighting.
“I was hiding from the world for a long time. People are going to be like, I didn’t know she was that heavy,” Carano said.
“It’s going to be a little embarrassing. But life is embarrassing; might as well just lean in. Food is one of the most abused drugs. People use it to hide from the world. And I think a lot of the people who use food, like I did, they’re actually taking it out on themselves because they don’t want to take it out on others. They’re usually very sensitive people.”
As she prepares to face Rousey, Carano also discussed how she balances femininity in a sport like MMA.
“You can still be a female and love all the things and be feminine. It’s actually adorable,” she said. “Women are powerful. They don’t have to be like men to be powerful.”
Now, with a settlement behind her and a return to competition ahead, Carano says she is more focused on what comes next than what happened before.
“I feel like I’m blooming now,” Carano said. “I love this age. I have a husband. I have goals. This is the best I’ve ever felt.”
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